Staff Report
Next week will see the opening phases in the trespassing trial of two UNM students and a faculty member who were arrested in April for allegedly chaining themselves to pumps at a Texaco gas station in April.
UNM students Jackie Starr and Julie Buckland, along with instructor Bob Anderson have plead not guilty to trespassing charges and will begin their court battle Wednesday, Oct. 2.
Wednesday's hearing will begin at 9 a.m. in courtroom 203 of the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court at 401 Roma NW.
The trio, and four others, was arrested April 8 after refusing to leave the Texaco gas station at 2137 Carlisle Blvd. NE, after Albuquerque police reportedly ordered them to leave the premises.
Eventually, officials from the city's fire department had to use bolt cutters to free the seven protestors who were promptly arrested.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
"I protested because I wanted to bring to light the issue of the day and inform people that what is happening in the Middle East is wrong and that a lot of people are dying," Anderson told the Daily Lobo in April.
According to the criminal complaint, police arrived at the gas station at about 7 a.m. and observed the seven individuals chained to the gas pumps and an additional 20 protestors holding various signs.
"I want to bring to the surface that what is wrong in America is people being greedy and American business having little regard for anyone but themselves," Buckland told the Daily Lobo in an April interview.
